1. Field
The present invention relates generally to electrical connectors and improvements thereto. More particularly, the present invention relates to rotary electrical interconnect devices that are configured to maintain an electrical connection through a rotatable interface.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electrical connectors that permit one component of the connector to rotate with respect to a second component of the connector while maintaining an electrical connection between the components are used in a variety of technical fields and applications. These connections, referred to as slip rings, are employed in applications such as cable reels, turbines, motors, remote video devices, robotics, and other devices requiring transmission of electrical power or signal through a rotating or rotatable electrical connection system.
Slip rings transfer electrical signals through a rotatable electrical contact using a conductive ring mounted on a rotary member. The conductive ring is in sliding contact with a conductive brush mounted to a second component of the connector. Rotating electrical connectors having various configurations based on this type of electrical contact have been developed. However, they are generally subject to drawbacks such as high complexity and manufacturing costs, low reliability and poor performance, and a lack of capacity for customization or scaling according to the requirements of a particular electronic system.
Advances in the medical field have led to an increasing variety and complexity of procedures that can be performed using devices that are inserted into the body of a patient. For example, a growing number of minimally invasive medical and surgical procedures can be performed endovascularly, laproscopically, endoscopically, or robotically using catheters, endoscopes and other insertable medical devices. These devices frequently have an electronic component requiring an electrical connection to external devices that can support a number of discrete electronic connections or circuits for transmittance of signal and power. The cables required to make connections to devices inserted within a patient or any other remote and/or constrained space, combined with the manipulations that may be necessary in the course of performing a procedure, such as twisting or rotational movement of the remote device, can lead to twisting, kinking, jamming or similar problems with the associated electronic cabling. Therefore, a need exists for an improved rotary electrical connector suitable for use in catheters and the like that would allow for independent rotation of connected devices while providing for uninterrupted electronic signals.